A World of New Ideas

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions I receive is: where do you get your ideas from?

The kind of person I am means that I’ve really dwelled long and hard about this – the kind of active, dedicated concentration that can only occur while waiting for the printer to warm up, or some irritable sod to faff about trying to get their Oyster card out at the bloody barrier. Where do they come from? Honestly? I don’t know. Sometimes they fly into my brain fully formed, others I have to prod at a word or a concept until I can mould it into something interesting. There is something about my brain that doesn’t turn off. Watching a film or TV series is dangerous for me. I end up being overly inspired, which often leads to disinterest in the actual thing I’m trying to watch, and end up flirting briefly with the idea of writing a new genre or complicated character arc. But back to the question, where do my ideas come from? They come from me, they come from you. They come from a man walking through Chapel Market today who carried a packet of six fruit scones, who briefly took me to a Friday afternoon spent spreading clotted cream on a weekly treat he indulged in and in the four and a half seconds I knew him for I felt nothing but sadness for a small life with small pleasures. They come from the woman on the train who is overly conscious of the length of her skirt, or the one who cannot cope a night on her own. They come from the people who want to travel the world, or the sweet old lady at the Sainsbury’s who missed her chance to run the marathon.

For me, ideas are not the hardest part about writing. The hardest part is remembering to live.

It’s about time…

Literally.

It’s been far too long since I launched a book. While The Cult of The Enemy felt more like a relief than a celebration – two arduously long years living and breathing a dystopia is every bit exhausting as it sounds – there really is no other feeling in the world than telling the world: I finished a thing, here it is.

Within the next few weeks I am pleased to say that I’ll be shouting that very phrase to everyone I pass on the street. After five months writing it, and to be honest waiting as much time for someone to actually read the final draft, I can nearly announce the title of my new book series. Needless to say, I am seeking planning permission for the hype I am building around the new title. All I can say is that the new series is a departure from my dystopian world and marks my first steps into an entirely new genre. I had such fun writing it and cannot begin to describe how proud I am that I wrote something under two hundred thousand words. More details will follow in the coming weeks, as I place my final pieces on the chessboard before launch date. That means that I’m not dropping the book title for a little while longer. Stay connected on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram for the latest news. However, for now, I’m just going to have to tease you with my abrupt and unwavering silence.

It’s Been A While

So it’s been a while since I have written a blog entry, but that is about to change. Over the past few months I’ve been super busy with writing projects and things are about to get busier! Please subscribe and check back regularly for the latest news from me.

Audiobook Recording

At the start of this year, I recorded the audiobook version of Blackout Obscura. I’ll do a separate blog post on the madness of this process, but as a quick update: it’s live, it’s ready for you to download and you can totally get it on Audible.

New Book Coming Soon

Over the past few months I have been concentrating on another book project that is very near to completion. I’ll give a little detail nearer the time, but expect comedy sci fi!

That’s all for now folks. Please keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: SGMarkAuthor